First Africa SME Champions Forum to Hold in Dakar For African SMEs

The specialist recruitment agency AfricSearch, the African Guarantee Fund and the pan-African bank Ecobank will be hosting the first Africa SME Champions Forum on the 11th and 12^th of November, 2014. This event which will be held in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is exclusively for African SMEs. Three hundred SMEs, from the five regions of Africa, will be invited to this forum according to strict criteria: they must be officially registered in Africa, have been legally created at least three years ago, have turnover of at least $1.5 million and a minimum workforce of 10 employees. Interested SMEs are invited to submit their application at www.africa-smechampions.com. In addition to these 300 SMEs, a number of financial institutions will be present as well as high-quality experts and policymakers. “This forum will be the first direct access platform to finance for the SMEs,” states Didier Acouetey, founder of recruitment agency AfricSearch. A total of 600 people are expected to be present in Dakar for the event. SMEs represent 90% of privately-owned African companies, 33% of the continent’s GDP and account for 45% of new jobs. “SMEs are vascularising the African economy,” states Didier Acouetey. “The African champions will be at the heart of the transformation of the continent,” declares Gervais KoffiDjondo, co-founder of the Ecobank group. The Africa SME Champions Forum will focus on concrete solutions to the many challenges facing African managers. Masterclasses, customised consultancy spaces bringing together high-quality experts, and a mentoring programme are being set in place to meet the attendees’ expectations and ensure an impactful event.